Raising one or more children can be a costly business. Even though a recent survey found Arkansas to be the second cheapest state to do so, it still comes in at an average $17,424 a year for one child.
For parents who are not together, child support can play a big role in helping with that significant expense. Unfortunately, some parents do not make the payments as they should, leaving the parent the child lives with to have to find that money elsewhere and likely experience financial difficulties. The financial implications will have a knock-on effect on the child, too.
So it might seem reasonable that if you are not getting the child support payments the court deemed you should, you tell the other parent that they need to pay up first if they want to see their child. But can you do this?
You cannot deny visitation over non-payment
There are rare occasions when you can justify denying visitation, which usually come down to a serious concern for the safety of your child if visitation were to go ahead. Even then, it is better to ask for a court’s approval first, to avoid problems.
Non-payment is not a safety issue. That parent has a court-ordered right to see their child at the stipulated times. If you were to deny them that, a court might decide that you are the one in the wrong, as you will have breached the custody order it laid down.
What you should do is ask the court to pressure the other parent to pay. They have many means of doing this at their disposal. Appropriate legal guidance can help you learn more.